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Burned down my house, 10/10 would arson again

Hello Van Davis, thank you for checking out Wilderlands and giving your thoughts! To your question on spells and wizards, for the initial release on the book I wanted to focus on creating a game that could feasibly play directly in Middle Earth, where the only wizards are named characters or far away to the east. However, some of my playtesters have pestered me to create some kind of wizard supplement in the future, and I am tempted as more people ask as a separate PWYW publication.

On the context of the spells of the enemy, Tolkiens heroes often fought against the sorcery of spectral foes such as the Barrow Wights and the Witch King. Tolkien also has a great passage differentiating the Art of the Elves from the sorcery of the Enemy. Thinking on your point, I could have included a spell caster villain in the bestiary to make this point clearer! I do have an adventure in mind with a spell casting villain, and I will be sure to include how they are “different” to the Songs of the free peoples in that publication.

If you have any other questions about the game or future releases, please reach out.

Hello Writer-Ben, thank you for checking out Wilderlands! This is a great question, and something on reflection that could be clearer in the rulebook, especially for non-native English speakers. 

The primary mechanical difference between the two is that Songs are used in combat, and upon failing a Heart (HRT) save, make your character fatigued so they cannot use another song until after a brief rest like stamina. Sagas can be used at any time, and either give a passive bonus, or can make your character Deprived after use depending on the Saga . As far as the 'lore' goes, I left the details of what a Saga looks like up to the Chronicler to fit their vision of the game. In my own homebrew setting, Sagas are found as magical scrolls or tablets in dungeons, and Heroes absorb their power upon reading them and learning of the mighty deeds of old. However, a Saga could also be a physical book or scroll read from each time it is used, or a runestone that is channeled if you prefer.

Meanwhile, Songs are taught by wise lore masters or captains when good deeds are done for their people. I encourage players to narrate how their character sings or chants during battle, but of course this is optional! I encourage you to change the flavor or styling of both mechanics to match either your homebrew world, or align with Middle Earth directly should you choose to run a game in Tolkien's world. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Thank you for taking the time to review Wilderlands and leave such a well thought out review! I think you did a great job highlighting where the book focuses on and what it 'elides' for the Game Master to decide upon. I personally love when a book gives me more options and guidance for combat as a Game Master, as I don't like to try and figure out combat buffs on the spot when I am running the game - this saves me brain power for what I love to do, roleplaying out social encounters and problem solving, leaving combat to be decided by the dice. This is why Sagas and Songs have so little guidance on when to bestow them - other than specifying you learn them by helping others, it is totally up to the GM to based on the size and scope of their campaign how and when to award them.

If you are looking for a gaming experience that is more like the One Ring mechanically but highly streamlined (including a simplified version of the dice mechanic) I recommend Ever On by Logen Nein - https://logen-nein.itch.io/ever-on-2e - I hope you find the Middle Earth game that speaks to you!